It is the inherent nature of automotive vehicles that different components emit sounds and vibrations that are unpleasant to the vehicle occupants. Various approaches have been undertaken to deaden these sounds and vibrations including, for example, insulating coatings for direct application to a substrate and foam segments. As a general matter, however, the insulating characteristics of foam parts are superior to insulating coatings and offer flexibility not provided for in most coatings.
It is important that the foam parts are secured in place in strategic locations in the vehicle to prevent their being dislodged. A variety of approaches have been taken to secure the foam part in place on the substrate. One approach taken is to use an adhesive to hold the foam part to the substrate. However, the use of an adhesive prohibits the convenient removal of the foam part when needed for repair or vehicle maintenance without destroying the part.
A common alternative to adhesives to holding a foam part to a vehicle substrate is the use of one or more mechanical fasteners. Examples of such fasteners include nuts and bolts, ball studs and grommets, zip ties, or Velcro® fasteners. While providing a certain degree of effectiveness, these solutions suffer certain disadvantages. These mechanical fasteners are frequently not customer friendly and can be difficult to install. In addition, they frequently are not serviceable, are not robust, or are expensive. In addition, some of these mechanical fasteners require over-molding which presents manufacturing limits. Furthermore, very often mechanical fasteners damage the foam parts when removed for servicing or even during vehicle operation. Typically the mechanical fasteners are made of metal and thus are susceptible to metal corrosion at the point of contact as water, and in certain driving conditions, road salt tend to accumulate at the point of contact, leading to failure. Many times a mechanical part suffers from several of these disadvantages.
It is also known that a variety of fasteners are required in the automotive vehicle for attaching various fluid lines, such as fuel lines, to a substrate. It would be beneficial for the installer to have a way to visually confirm that the fluid line has been successfully attached to the fastener.
Accordingly, known approaches to attaching foam parts to a substrate or to the substructure of a vehicle have not produced satisfactory results. Furthermore, it would be useful to have a fastener for attaching a fluid line to a substrate on a vehicle that allows visual verification of successful attachment. As in so many areas of vehicle technology, there is always room for improvement related to fastening systems used in the automotive vehicle.